Geometrization for pattern recognition, data analysis, data merging, and multiple criteria decision making

ABSTRACT

An analyzer/classifier/synthesizer/prioritizing tool for data comprises use of an admissible geometrization process with data transformed and partitioned by an input process into one or more input matrices and one or more partition classes and one or more scale groups. The data to be analyzed/classified/synthesized/prioritized is processed by an admissible geometrization technique such as 2-partition modified individual differences multidimensional scaling (2p-IDMDS) to produce at least a measure of geometric fit. Using the measure of geometric fit and possibly other 2p-IDMDS output, a back end process analyzes, synthesizes, classifies, and prioritizes data through patterns, structure, and relations within the data.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/979,704,filed Dec. 28, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,055,677, issued Nov. 8, 2011,which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/737,063, filedApr. 18, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,885,966 B2, issued Feb. 8, 2011,which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/632,000, filedJul. 30, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,222,126, issued May 22, 2007, whichclaims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.60/399,122, filed Jul. 30, 2002, and Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 60/426,792, filed Nov. 18, 2002, all of which are incorporated byreference.

This application further relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/581,949, filed Jun. 19, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,186, issuedJan. 31, 2006, and to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/885,342, filedJun. 19, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,342, issued Nov. 22, 2005, bothof which are incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/581,949 (hereafter USPA-1) disclosesan energy minimization technique for pattern recognition andclassification. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/885,342(hereafter USPA-2), this energy minimization technique is extended to amethod for aggregation of ordinal scale data.

PCT international application number PCT/US98/27374, filed Dec. 23,1998, and designating the United States, PCT international applicationnumber PCT/US99/08768, filed Apr. 21, 1999, and designating the U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/399,122, filed 30, Jul.,2002, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/426,792, filed18, Nov., 2002, are incorporated herein by reference. The firstincorporated application discloses an energy minimization technique forclassification, pattern recognition, sensor fusion, data compression,network reconstruction, and signal processing. The incorporatedapplication shows a data analyzer/classifier that comprises using apreprocessing step, an energy minimization step, and a postprocessingstep to analyze and classify data. In a particular embodiment, theenergy minimization is performed using IDMDS. The second applicationdiscloses a technique for merging ordinal data. In a particularembodiment, the merging process is performed using unconditional ormatrix conditional, non-metric (ordinal) IDMDS. The third incorporatedapplication discloses a modified energy minimization technique forimproved and expanded classification, pattern recognition, sensorfusion, data compression, network reconstruction, and signal processing.The third application additionally discloses a meaningful scaleconversion and aggregation process for intermixed scale type data. Thefourth incorporated application discloses a 2-phase technique for scaleconversion and aggregation of possibly intermixed scale type data.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Merging data includes receiving input data for merging, defining one ormore transformations of the input data, defining a partition of theinput data, applying admissible geometrization to the one or moretransforms of the input data and the partition of the input data,producing at least an admissible transformation of the input data, andmerging the input data using at least the admissible transformation ofthe input data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating components of an analyzer according toan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram relating to the use of resampling or replication andaggregation with the analyzer according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

By way of illustration only, an analyzer, classifier, synthesizer,measuring, and prioritizing process for data comprises using admissiblegeometrization with quantitative/qualitative/intermixed scale type datawill be described and illustrated. The data to be analyzed, classified,measured, merged, or prioritized is processed using admissiblegeometrization to produce an element of admissible geometric fit. Usingthe element of admissible geometric fit and optionally other output ofadmissible geometrization, the data are analyzed, classified,synthesized, measured, or prioritized. The discussion of one or moreembodiments herein is presented only by way of illustration. Nothingshall be taken as a limitation on the following claims, which define thescope of the invention.

The present disclosure relates generally to recognition, classification,measurement, synthesis, and analysis of patterns in real world entities,events, and processes. It further relates to an iterative method formeasurement or scale conversion and fusion of data from multiple sourcesand possibly intermixed scale types resulting in a quantitative mergedvalue, index, or score. It also relates to an iterative method formultiple criteria decision making (MCDM) over mixtures of tangible,objective, quantitative data and intangible, subjective, qualitativedata.

The present disclosure further extends and improves the techniquesdisclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/581,949 and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/885,342. These extensions and improvementsinclude disclosure of a general, and therefore more useful, procedurefor admissible geometrization of data allowing recognition,classification, conversion and synthesis of intermixed scale type dataand a method for meaningful multiple criteria decision making.Additional extensions and improvements of the present disclosure caninclude, but are not limited to, the utilization of arbitrary energydecompositions, double data partitions, novel application ofoptimization constraints, and resampling or averaging methods for dataanalysis, smoothing and process invariance.

The disclosures of USPA-1 and USPA-2 are based on minimization of theenergy functional

${{E\left( {f_{1},\ldots\mspace{11mu},f_{m},X_{1},\ldots\mspace{11mu},X_{m}} \right)} = {\sum\limits_{k = 1}^{m}{\sum\limits_{i < j}{w_{ijk}\left( {{f_{k}\left( c_{ijk} \right)} - {d_{ij}\left( X_{k} \right)}} \right)}^{2}}}},$over transformations ƒ_(k) and configurations X_(k) ⊂R^(N)=

R^(N),d

, N-dimensional real Euclidean space, subject to the constraintsX _(k) =ZA _(k),where Z is a reference configuration and the A_(k) are diagonalmatrices. The w_(ijk) are proximity weights associated to the raw orinitial data values c_(ijk).

In USPA-1 and USPA-2, the matrices A_(k) in the constraint equationX_(k)=ZA_(k) are diagonal. In an embodiment of the present invention,the matrices A_(k) can be arbitrary nonsingular and reduced ranktransformations of the reference configuration Z. This includes the caseof diagonal A_(k) and nonsingular matrices A_(k) that can be decomposedas the product of a rotation matrix Q_(k) and a diagonal matrix T_(k).X_(k)=ZA_(k)=ZQ_(k)T_(k).

Allowing rotations Q_(k) in the constraint equation improves therotational invariance of embodiments under the present invention ascompared to USPA-1 and USPA-2.

As disclosed in USPA-1, minimization of E with diagonal matrices A_(k)corresponds to the INDSCAL model of individual differencesmultidimensional scaling (IDMDS). Minimizing E with the above moregeneral constraints defines the general IDIOSCAL and PARAFAC models ofmultidimensional scaling (MDS) (see de Leeuw, J. and Heiser, W., “Theoryof multidimensional scaling,” in P. R. Krishnaiah and L. N. Kanal, Eds.,Handbook of Statistics, Vol. 2. North-Holland, N.Y., 1982). A preferredembodiment of the present invention greatly expands the applicability ofthe INDSCAL, IDIOSCAL, and PARAFAC models of IDMDS.

In addition to the constraints imposed by the above constraintequations, embodiments of the present invention make use of internallyconstraining the reference configuration Z. These internal constraintsconsist of holding none, a portion, or all of the points in Z fixedduring the minimization of the energy functional.

While the energy E is a mathematical descriptor and does not representand is not intended to represent an actual physical energy, it isintuitively useful to observe that the total energy of an idealizedphysical network of nodes connected by i massless springs is given bythe formula

${E_{spring} = {\frac{1}{2}{\sum\limits_{i}{k_{i}\left( {L_{i} - L_{ei}} \right)}^{2}}}},$where k_(i) is the spring constant, L_(i) the spring length, and L_(ei)the equilibrium spring length for spring i. The energy functional E isanalogous to the spring energy E_(spring) for m coupled spring networks.With this interpretation, the initial and ƒ_(k) transformed data valuesc_(ijk) in the energy functional E correspond roughly to the springlengths L_(i) in E_(spring). In this way, data values can be thought ofas spring or edge lengths in data networks or graphs.

The intuitive effect, then, of minimizing E is to allow the simultaneousrelaxation of multiple (frustrated) data graphs. Embodiments of thepresent invention greatly expand and improve upon the applicability andimplementation of data graph relaxation. In particular, embodiments ofthe present invention can include a modified form of the energyfunctional E that extends applicability to more general data sets andanalyses. Embodiments of the present invention also generalize multiplegraph relaxation to admissible geometrization with respect tonon-quadratic, non-least squares objective functions.

Although picturesque, the above analogy with idealized spring networksdoes not explain how arbitrary data sets are made geometric, tensile orrigidified. Embodiments of the present invention geometricize orrigidify data through (iterative) admissible geometrization. Admissiblegeometrization of data is broader than energy minimization and includestechniques and objective functions qualitatively different from E. Inaddition, admissible geometrization relates to a 2-phase process forexplicit model construction for derived measurement or conversion ofintermixed quantitative/qualitative data. In the following discussion,use of the single word “geometrization” shall include reference to thelonger phrase “admissible geometrization.”

Geometrization begins by encoding data elements as the edge weights or“lengths” of certain complete graphs Γ_(k) (k running over some finiteindex set). These complete graphs are potentially “flabby” (or “rigid”)depending on their mutual relationships and the strength of their scaletypes. Data sets are partitioned twice for admissible geometrization;the first partition is used to construct the graphs Γ_(k), the secondencodes the scale type of sets of Γ_(k) edge lengths. Unlike USPA-1 andUSPA-2, embodiments under the present invention provide a meaningfultool for analyzing doubly partitioned data and intermixed scale types inthe graphs Γ_(k) (admissibility, scale type, meaningfulness, and othermeasurement theoretic ideas are discussed in more detail below). Thisnot only allows an embodiment under the present invention to be used forgeneral scale conversion, data synthesis, and MCDM, but it also expandsand improves on the disclosures in USPA-1 and USPA-2 for general patternrecognition, classification, and data analysis.

To make precise the idea of admissible geometrization, some conceptsfrom the representational theory of measurement (RTM) can be referenced.An informal discussion of RTM is sufficient for the present discussion.The following discussion follows Narens (Narens, L., Theories ofMeaningfulness. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, N.J., 2002).

Since Stevens, it is generally understood that data measurements can bedifferentiated into various qualitative and quantitative classes orscale types. (Stevens, S. S., “On the theory of scales of measurement,”Science, 103, 1946, pp. 677-680.)

Let A be a set (A is generally some empirical system of interest). Thena measurement or representation of A is a function ƒ from A into asubset R⊂R of the real numbersƒ: A→R⊂R.

The set of all representations for a given set A, denoted by S=Hom(A,R), is called a scale (the notation Hom( ) derives from the formalrepresentational theory of measurement where the measurements ƒ arehomomorphisms of relational structures). The image of a scale S is theset Im S={ƒ(x)εA|xεA and ƒεS}. Let G be a transformation group on ImS,that is, G is a group of functions from ImS to itself with groupoperation the composition of functions. Then we say that S has scaletype G, or G is the scale group of S, if there exists a fixed ƒεS suchthatS=G _(ƒ) ={g∘ƒ|gεG},that is, S is the (induced) G-orbit of ƒ. Here the scale S is assumed tobe regular and can be safely ignored in the following discussion. Theelements of the scale group G are called admissible transformations. Incommon use are nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio, and absolute scaletypes corresponding to permutation, isotonic, affine, similarity, andtrivial admissible transformation groups, respectively.

Note that the above groups of admissible transformations satisfy a chainof inclusions. These inclusions provide an order on scale types with theweakest scale type or measurement level (nominal) corresponding to thelargest group of admissible transformations (permutations) and thestrongest scale type (absolute) associated to the smallest (trivial)group of admissible transformations.

We turn now to the RTM concept of meaningfulness. The basic idea behindmeaningfulness is that the scale type of a set of measurements putslimitations on the conclusions that can be drawn from thosemeasurements. A statement involving scales of measurement is said to bemeaningful if its truth value is unchanged whenever every scale in thestatement is modified by an admissible transformation. (See Roberts, F.S., “Limitations on conclusions using scales of measurement,” in S. M.Pollock et al., Eds., Handbooks in OR & MS, Vol. 6, Elsevier, N.Y.,1994.) An example of a meaningless statement is the following: “Since itis 40° F. today, it is twice as hot as yesterday when it was only 20°F.” This statement is meaningless because if we modify the scales in thestatement using the admissible affine transformation C=( 5/9)(F−32) thenthe statement is false in terms of degrees Celsius.

An embodiment under the present invention can relate, in part, tomeaningful aggregation. Consider the problem of aggregating ordinalpreference ratings P=(3, 3, 3) and Q=(1, 1, 4). If we compute the usualarithmetic mean on these two sets of ratings, we find the mean of P isgreater than the mean of Q. Since we assumed the preference ratings weremeasured on ordinal scales, the above statement about the relative orderof the means of P and Q should remain true when the ratings are modifiedby a monotone transformation. If we apply the (admissible) monotonetransformation: 1→3, 3→4, 4→7 and compute the mean on the transformeddata, we discover that the mean of P is now less than the mean of Q.Thus the truth value of the statement concerning means of ordinal datais not preserved and we conclude that the mean is not a meaningfulmerging function for ordinal scales.

It turns out that the only meaningful merging function for ordinal dataare order statistics (see Ovchinnikov, S., “Means of ordered sets,”Math. Social Sci., 32, 1996, pp. 39-56). Order statistics are also theonly meaningful merging functions for mixed qualitative and quantitativedata since, for closed-form aggregation processes, the scale type ofintermixed scales are determined by the scale type of the weakest scale(Osborne, D. K., “Further extensions of a theorem of dimensionalanalysis,” J. Math. Psychol., 7, 1970, pp. 236-242.)

Real world data tends to be a mixture of different scale types. This isparticularly true in the social and non-physical sciences, includingeconomics, econometrics, finance, psychology, and so forth. Commonlyused averaging or merging functions such as the arithmetic and geometricmeans are meaningless for intermixed data that includes nominal orordinal scale types. Similarly, standard techniques for MCDM, forexample, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) (see Saaty, T. L., TheAnalytical Hierarchy Process: Planning, Priority Setting and ResourceAllocation, RWS Publications, Pittsburgh, 1990.), are meaningless onmixed scale data. Embodiments of the present invention as disclosedherein provide an iterative approach to meaningful derived measurementor scale conversion, merging, and MCDM on data from qualitative,quantitative, and intermixed qualitative/quantitative scales.

Embodiments of the present invention offer a further improved method andapparatus for classification, pattern recognition, sensor fusion, datacompression, network reconstruction, signal processing, derivedmeasurement or scale conversion, aggregation of intermixed scale typedata, and multiple criteria decision making.

The method and apparatus in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention provide an analysis tool with many applications. This tool canbe used for pattern classification, pattern recognition, signalprocessing, sensor fusion, data compression, network reconstruction,measurement, scale conversion or scaling, data synthesis or merging,indexing, or scoring, multiple criteria decision making, and many otherpurposes. Embodiments of the present invention relate to a generalmethod for data analysis based on admissible geometrization. Embodimentsof the present invention can use admissible geometrization(geometrization) to analyze data. A number of methods for geometrizationof data have been identified. One embodiment of the invention utilizes amodified form of individual differences multidimensional scaling(2p-IDMDS) with generalized constraints. This embodiment also explicitlyutilizes the 2-phase structure of 2p-IDMDS.

Let C={C₁, . . . , C_(m)} be a data set with data objects or casesC_(k)={c_(k1), . . . , c_(kn)} and let

$\begin{matrix}{{C = {\overset{r}{\underset{l = 1}{P}}C_{l}}},} & (1)\end{matrix}$be a (second) partition of C. (In the following, the letter l, writtenas a subscript, will indicate partition classes C_(l) of partition (1).The subscript letter k will indicate data objects C_(k). We will fromnow on also refer to this second partition of C as partition (1) or the(1)-partition.) The classes C_(l) are determined by the user and neednot be identical to the data objects C_(k). It is assumed that eachclass C_(l) of partition (1) has a definite scale type with scale groupG_(l) of admissible transformations.

Embodiments of the present invention can admissibly geometrize the dataC. This is accomplished by first associating to each data object C_(k) aweighted complete graph Γ_(k). The weights or edge “lengths” of Γ_(k)are given by the c_(ki)εC_(k) and are determined up to admissibletransformation by partition (1). More specifically, each edge lengthc_(ki) belongs to some class C_(l) and hence has scale type G_(l).Intuitively, we think of the graphs Γ_(k) as implicitly or potentiallygeometric objects with varying degrees of flabbiness (or rigidity)depending on the scale types of their edge lengths as determined bypartition (1). By making this geometry explicit, embodiments of thepresent invention can discover structure and relationships in the dataset C. In traditional IDMDS, the data elements c_(ijk) are, in fact,proximities (similarities or dissimilarities). In this case, thepotential geometry of the graphs Γ_(k) is closer to the surface.Embodiments of the present invention do not require that c_(ijk) beproximity data. In this sense, embodiments of the present inventiondisclose a new admissible length based encoding of information, whichgreatly extends the length based encoding disclosed in USPA-1 andUSPA-2.

There are number of ways to actualize or make explicitly geometric thepotential geometry of the graphs Γ_(k). One embodiment of the inventionutilizes a significantly modified form of IDMDS, called 2p-IDMDS for2-partition or 2-phase IDMDS, to admissibly geometrize the Γ_(k).2p-IDMDS is based on minimization of the following modified energyfunctional

$\begin{matrix}{{{E_{p}\left( {g_{1},\ldots\mspace{11mu},g_{m},X_{1},\ldots\mspace{11mu},X_{m}} \right)} = {\sum\limits_{k = 1}^{m}{\sum\limits_{i < j}{w_{ijk}\left( {{{\overset{\sim}{g}}_{k}\left( c_{ijk} \right)} - {d_{ij}\left( X_{k} \right)}} \right)}^{2}}}},} & (2)\end{matrix}$subject to the linear constraintsX_(k)=ZA_(k).  (3)Z and X_(k) are configurations of points in real Euclidean space R^(N)=

R^(N) d

, with the usual metric d=d_(ij), and the A_(k) are N×N matrices withpossible restrictions. The functions {tilde over (g)}_(k) are certain(1)-partition specific mappings defined in terms of admissibletransformations g_(l)εG_(l) from the scale group associated to the(1)-partition class C_(l). (A definition of the {tilde over (g)}_(k) isgiven below.)

Minimization of E_(p) with respect to the transformations g_(l) insuresthat the scale types of the (1)-partition classes C_(l) are preserved.In this way, minimization of (2) defines an admissible or meaningfulgeometric representationΓ_(k)→X_(k)→R^(N)of data graphs Γ_(k) by configurations of points X_(k) in R^(N).

The constraint equations (3) imply that the embodiment of the inventionis a merging process. Each complete graph Γ_(k), or embeddedconfiguration X_(k), is iteratively merged, and thereby deformed, intothe reference configuration Z. This embedding, merging, and deformationrespects the scale types of the Γ_(k) edge lengths through theadmissible transformations g_(l). Differences in deformation between theindividual configurations X_(k) (graphs Γ_(k)) and the referenceconfiguration Z are encoded in the matrices A_(k). For diagonal A_(k),the components of the vector diag(A_(k)) of diagonal elements of A_(k)are dilations along the coordinate axes of R^(N). Under appropriateidentification conditions, the set of dilation vectorsdiag(A)={diag(A_(k))}, and more generally, the set of deformationmatrices A={A_(k)}, can define classification spaces for the dataobjects C_(k).

In addition, norms ∥diag(A_(k))∥ on the space diag(A) can be interpretedas giving the (Z-relative) overall sizes of the configurations X_(k) andhence of the graphs Γ_(k). We can interpret the overall size of X_(k)(via A_(k)) as the merged value of the data object C_(k). Since vectornorms are ratio scale numbers, the process has produced ratio scalemerged values from the possibly intermixed qualitative/quantitativescales C_(l). We will see that diag(A_(k)) is generally a complex, thatis, a list of independent ratio scaled values, unless an identificationcondition is enforced on the matrices A_(k). In this more general case,the vector norm or magnitude ∥·∥ is not a meaningful (merging) functionand we aggregate the elements of diag(A_(k)) using other synthesizingfunctions including the determinant det(A_(k)) on the matrix A_(k) and(weighted) geometric mean on the components of diag(A_(k)). Weights forweighted aggregation can be introduced externally or integrated into thegeometrization procedure itself as discussed in more detail hereafter.

Through admissible geometrization, embodiments of the present inventioncan also provide explicit (derived) measurement or scale conversionmodels from the scale types G_(l) of C_(l) to interval or ratio scales.Geometrization via minimization of E_(p) contains an iterativealternating or 2-phase process whereby updated Euclidean distancesd_(ij)(X_(k)) are fitted to data values c_(ijk), or transformed valuesg_(l)(c_(ijk)) and then updated transformed values are regressed onupdated distances. Transformed values are also called pseudo-distancesor disparities in the IDMDS literature. See Borg, I. and Groenen, P.,Modern Multidimensional Scaling: Theory and Applications, Springer,N.Y., 1997. After some convergence criterion has been reached, theresulting transformed values can be converted to at least (independent)interval scales. Often ratio scales can be produced. If desired, theresulting output scales are made commensurate. Further mathematical ormultivariate statistical manipulation of the transformed data is nowpossible including quantitatively meaningful aggregation using standardstatistical merging functions and the application of exact statisticsand distance function multiresponse permutation techniques.

Embodiments of the present invention also make use of the above 2-phaseprocess for MCDM and prioritization of alternatives measured withrespect to qualitative/quantitative and intermixed scale types. Furtherdetails of these applications are given below.

One embodiment of the invention implements admissible geometrizationthrough 2p-IDMDS. It is based on a 2-partition or entry conditionalextension of PROXSCAL, a constrained majorization algorithm fortraditional IDMDS. (See Commandeur, J. and Heiser, W., “Mathematicalderivations in the proximity scaling (Proxscal) of symmetric datamatrices,” Tech. Report No. 99-93-03, Department of Data Theory, LeidenUniversity, Leiden, The Netherlands.) Embodiments of the presentinvention may be implemented using 2-partition or entry conditionalextensions of other IDMDS algorithms. In the following, tr(A) and A^(t)denote, respectively, the trace and transpose of the matrix A.

Let C={C₁, . . . , C_(m)} be a data set with data objects or casesC_(k)={c_(k1), . . . , c_(kn)} and let G_(l) be scale groups for classesC_(l) from partition (1). The 2p-IDMDS algorithm has eight steps withsteps 4 and 6 implementing the 2-phase process described above.

-   -   1. Choose constrained initial configurations X_(k) ⁰.    -   2. Find transformations g_(l)(c_(ijl)) for fixed distances        d_(ij)(X_(l) ⁰.    -   3. Compute the initial energy

${{E_{p}\left( {g_{1},\ldots\mspace{11mu},g_{m},X_{1}^{0},\ldots\mspace{11mu},X_{m}^{0}} \right)} = {\sum\limits_{k = 1}^{m}{\sum\limits_{i < j}{w_{ijk}\left( {{{\overset{\sim}{g}}_{k}\left( c_{ijk} \right)} - {d_{ij}\left( X_{k}^{0} \right)}} \right)}^{2}}}},$

-   -   4. Compute unconstrained updates X _(k) of X_(k) ⁰ using        transformed proximities {tilde over (g)}_(k)(c_(ijk))via        majorization.    -   5. Solve a metric projection problem by finding X_(k) ⁺        minimizing        h(X ₁, . . . ,X _(m))=Σtr(X _(k) − X _(k))^(t) V _(k)(X _(k) − X        _(k))        -   subject to the constraints X_(k)=ZA_(k). (V_(k) are positive            semidefinite matrices constructed from the weights w_(ijk).)    -   6. Replace X_(k) ⁰ by X_(k) ⁺ and find transformations        g_(l)(c_(ijl)) for fixed distances d_(ij)(X_(l) ⁰).    -   7. Compute E_(p).    -   8. Go to step 4 if the difference between the current and        previous values of E_(p) is greater than ε, some previously        defined number. Stop otherwise.

In steps 3 and 4, the transformations {tilde over (g)}_(k) are definedin terms of admissible transformations g_(l)εG_(l) as follows{tilde over (g)} _(k)(c _(ijk))=g _(l)(c _(ijk)) for c _(ijk) εC _(k) ∩C_(l).

In (optional) step 2, and in step 6, the admissible transformationsg_(l) are elements of the partition (1) scale groups G_(l) and thenotation d_(ij)(X_(l) ⁰) means those Euclidean distances correspondingto the admissibly transformed data elements g_(l)(c_(ijl)). Variousnormalizations or standardizations can be imposed on the transformedvalues g_(l)(C_(l)) or on sets of transformed values. (Note, g(B)denotes the image of the set B under the mapping g.) For example, theunion of the transformed values g_(l)(C_(l)) can be normalized (or madecommensurate) in each iteration, or the transformed values g_(l)(C_(l))can be separately normalized in each iteration and then the unionnormalized after convergence. The specific method of normalization maydepend on the data and on the purpose of the analysis. In traditionalIDMDS, normalization (standardization) is used to avoid the degeneratetrivial solution X_(k)=0 and {tilde over (g)}_(k) (C_(k)))=0 whereconfigurations and associated pseudo-distances are both mapped to zero.In the more general setting of 2p-IDMDS, normalization can have otherpurposes including commensuration across combinations of partitionclasses C_(l).

If partition (1) is trivial, that is, if there is the only the one classC_(l)=C, then the above 2p-IDMDS algorithm corresponds to standardunconditional IDMDS although extended to non-proximity data. If thepartition classes C_(l) of (1) are just the data objects C_(k), and thescale groups G_(l) are the same for all l (k), then the 2p-IDMDSalgorithm corresponds to standard matrix conditional IDMDS (again,extended to non-proximity data). Otherwise, 2p-IDMDS is a novel,generalized form of IDMDS.

The PROXSCAL initialization step 1 is performed under the identityassumptionX₁ ⁰=X₂ ⁰= . . . X_(m) ⁰.For certain applications of embodiments of the present invention, thisidentity assumption may be inappropriate. In such cases, step 2 can beskipped or the initial configuration can be generated separately fromthe input data and made to satisfy the constraint equation X_(k)=ZA_(k)through an initial metric projection.

The solution of the metric projection problem in step 5, is subject tothe constraint equations X_(k)=ZA_(k). There is an indeterminacy inthese equations: If Q is an arbitrary nonsingular matrix, thenX_(k)=ZA_(k)=ZQQ⁻¹A_(k)= ZA _(k),so ZA _(k) is another solution to the constraints. To insure theuniqueness of the solutions to the constraint equation an identificationcondition can be imposed on the matrices A_(k). One such condition isexpressed by the formula

$\begin{matrix}{{{\sum\limits_{k = 1}^{m}{A_{k}A_{k}^{t}}} = {mI}_{N}},} & (4)\end{matrix}$where I_(N) is the N-dimensional identity matrix. (It is also possibleto impose an identity condition on the reference configuration Z.)Imposition of an identification condition such as (4) has a number ofbenefits besides removing the ambiguity in the constraint specification.In particular, an identification condition allows the set of matricesA={A_(k)} to be treated as part of a matrix classification space and fordiagonal A_(k), the set diag(A)={diag(A_(k))} define vectors in anN-dimensional classification vector space. The utility of enforcing anidentification condition will be elaborated on further below.

The 2-phase part of the 2p-IDMDS algorithm is encoded in the initial(optional) step 2 and then through iteration over steps 4 and 6 untilthe convergence criteria in step 8 is met. We note that in PROXSCAL, theratio model is fixed in step 2 once and for all. For the purposes ofscale conversion, embodiments of the present invention allow for theupdate of the ratio model with each iteration of the 2p-IDMDS algorithm.It may also be useful to define new admissible transformation algorithmsfor step 6. For instance, (weighted) monotone regression as implementedin PROXSCAL is based on means of blocks of order violators; certainapplications of embodiments of the present invention may be enhanced byintroducing monotone regression with medians on blocks of orderviolators.

Step 6 of traditional IDMDS algorithms is called optimal scaling. Forordinal optimal scaling, IDMDS algorithms generally distinguish betweendiscrete and continuous data. If the data is continuous, then optimalscaling uses the so-called primary approach to ties where ties in theoriginal data are allowed to be broken in the transformed data. In thesecondary approach to ties, ties are not allowed to be broken and thisis intended to reflect the discrete nature of the data. In the remainderof this disclosure, we will assume that the secondary approach to tiesis used in step 6, that is, in the 2-phase portion of 2p-IDMDS. Thismakes it straightforward to construct derived measurement models from2p-IDMDS transformed data. Derived measurement models may also beconstructed using the primary approach to ties, but additional merging(of untied pseudo-distances) may be used to define a single-valuedmodel. In general, the selection of primary or secondary ties depends onthe data and purposes of the analysis.

2p-IDMDS, through the PROXSCAL algorithm, also allows direct constraintson the reference configuration Z. This can include the ability to fixsome or all of the points in Z. Borrowing from the spring networkanalogy, fixing coordinates in Z is analogous to pinning some or all ofthe spring/data network(s) to a rigid frame or substrate.

FIG. 1 illustrates an operational block diagram of a dataanalysis/classifier/synthesis/measurement/prioritizing tool 100. Tool100 is a three-step process. Step 110 is a front end for datapreprocessing and transformation. Step 120 is a process stepimplementing admissible geometrization—in the presently illustratedembodiment, this process step is implemented through the 2p-IDMDSalgorithm described above. Step 130 is a back end or postprocessing stepwhich organizes, interprets, and decodes the output of process step 120.These three steps are illustrated in FIG. 1.

It is to be understood that the steps forming the tool 100 may beimplemented in a computer usable medium or in a computer system ascomputer executable software code. In such an embodiment, step 110 maybe configured as a code, step 120 may be configured as second code, andstep 130 may be configured as third code, with each code comprising aplurality of machine readable steps or operations for performing thespecified operations. While step 110, step 120, and step 130 have beenshown as three separate elements, their functionality can be combinedand/or distributed. It is to be further understood that “medium” isintended to broadly include any suitable medium, including analog ordigital, hardware or software, now in use or developed in the future.

Step 110 of the tool 100 consists of the transformation of the data intomatrix form and the encoding of partition (1). The matrixtransformations for the illustrated embodiment can produce nonnegativematrices. The type of transformation used depends on the data to beprocessed and the goal of the analysis. (Note, step 110 input data mayinclude modified energy weights w_(ijk), see equation (2), which canalso be written in matrix form. Examples of such weight matrix encodingsfollow.) Similarly, the form of the encoding of partition (1) can bedetermined by the data to be processed, its scale type(s), and the goalof the analysis. While the data processed in step 110 may be proximitydata, it is a goal of step 110 to represent arbitrary forms of data aslengths or proximities. This can be accomplished by simply writing thedata into some part of one or more symmetric or lower triangularmatrices (symmetric matrices can be assembled from lower triangularmatrices). For example, sequential data, such as time series, signalprocessing data, or any data which can be written as a list, can betransformed into symmetric matrices by direct substitution into thelower (upper) triangle entries of a matrix of sufficient dimensionality.Matrices constructed in this manner define complete weighted graphs(possibly with missing weights) where the weights or edge lengths arethe raw data values. In conjunction with the scale type information inpartition (1), these matrices are interpreted as having potential(admissible) geometry which is actualized or explicitly geometricized bythe illustrated embodiment of the invention through 2p-IDMDS in step120.

Permutation of direct matrix substitution order may result in differentadmissible geometries. Invariance of tool 100 analyses underrearrangements of substitution order can be restored by averaging tool100 (step 120) over all inequivalent geometries. Approximate invarianceof tool 100 analyses is achieved by averaging tool 100 (step 120) over asample or subset of inequivalent geometries. This averaging overpermutations of substitution orders or geometries is illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 3. Averaging can be used as well in tool 100 for smoothingmetastable configurations X_(k) and matrices A_(k) associated with localminima of the energy functional E_(p) and to insure invariance overembedding dimension N. Note, averaging here includes a merging techniquethat is meaningful and appropriate for the given data set. This generaltechnique of synthesizing over multiple versions of the same input isreferred to here as resampling or replication. (This terminology shouldnot be confused with the statistical method of resampling, though theideas are similar.) These and related matters are discussed in moredetail below.

Step 120 of tool 100 reifies or makes explicit the potential geometry ofthe matrices M_(k) from step 110. In illustrated embodiment of theinvention, Step 120 admissibly geometricizes data via 2p-IDMDS. 2p-IDMDSis based on minimization of the modified energy functional E_(p) overgeometric configurations X_(k) of step 110 matrices M_(k) and partition(1) specified admissible transformations. E_(r)-minimal geometricrepresentations or configurations satisfy the general constraintequations X_(k)=ZA_(k) where the A_(k) can be identity, diagonal,reduced rank, or nonsingular matrices.

Step 130 of the tool 100 consists of visual and analytical methods fororganizing, presenting, decoding, interpreting, and other postprocessingof output from step 120. The output of 2p-IDMDS includes, but is notlimited to, decomposition of energy E_(p), transformed data g_(l)(C_(l))for 1 running over partition classes, and deformation matrices A_(k).(Note, g(B) denotes the image of B under the mapping g.) 2p-IDMDS mayproduce high dimensional output benefiting from analyticalpostprocessing techniques. Some examples of analytical techniques arethe following: clustering methods, statistical tools and permutationprocedures, vector space metrics such as norm, trace, and determinantfunctions, projection pursuit, and Gaussian and other boundary growingtechniques. There are many others. In addition, differential coloring ofdilation vectors diag(A_(k)) provides a visual and analytic tool forinterpretation and decoding of step 120 output including detection ofoutliers and anomalous signals and behaviors. Elements of geometric fit,which for the presently illustrated embodiment of the invention includeenergy decompositions and functions of energy decompositions, can beutilized for pattern matching and agreement, scoring and ordering, andother data/pattern analyses. Graphs of total modified energy E_(p)against optimal embedding dimensionality provide measures of network anddynamical system dimensionality. Step 130 of tool 100 also providesmethods for organization and commensuration of optimally transformeddata values. Organized and commensurate transformed data can be used todefine a fixed scale conversion model for non-iterative derived scalingof new data, that is, without repeating steps 110 and 120 of tool 100.Optimally transformed data values g_(l)(C_(l)) can also be used todetermine MCDM priorities. These and other applications of tool 100 willbe described in detail below.

Let C={C₁, . . . , C_(m)} be a data set with data objects or casesC_(k)={C_(k1), . . . , C_(kn)}. Step 110 of tool 100 transforms eachC_(k)εC to matrix form M(C_(k))=M_(k) where M_(k) is a p-dimensionalnonnegative hollow symmetric matrix. (Hollow means diag(M_(k))=0, thep-dimensional zero vector.) The cases C_(k) can be written to arbitraryp×q matrices M_(k) (in an alternative embodiment discussed later, thematrices M_(k) are rectangular), however, for clarity of exposition, theabove restrictions are adopted.

More formally, step 110 may be expressed as a map or transformation)M:C→H ^(p)(R ^(≧0))C_(k)→M_(k)where H^(p)(R^(≧0)) denotes the set of p-dimensional, nonnegative,hollow, symmetric matrices. The precise rule(s) for calculating M,including determination of matrix dimensionality p, depends on the dataC and the purpose of the analysis.

Since the M_(k) are nonnegative hollow symmetric matrices, they can beinterpreted and processed in tool 100 as proximity matrices. In thisway, the transformationC_(k)→M_(k)can be thought of as defining a mappingC_(k)→Γ_(k)from cases C_(k) to weighted complete graphs Γ_(k) with p vertices ornodes.

If C contains proximity data, or if proximity data is constructed from Cprior to or as part of the transformation M, then the matrices M_(k) arebonafide proximity matrices. For example, if C consists of binary imagesC_(k), then M_(k) may be defined as the distance matrix with ij-th entrythe two dimensional city-block distance between “on” pixels i and j.However, C need not satisfy either of these conditions to be processedby tool 100.

The map M can be combined with other transformations F to form compositematrix encodings (M∘F)(C_(k)). For instance, F could represent the fastFourier transform on signal C_(k) and M_(k)=[M_(ij)]_(k) is defined bym_(ijk)=|a_(ki)−a_(kj)| with a_(ki)=F(c_(ki)) the output magnitudes forsignal C_(k) at frequencies i and j. The case where F represents a(geometry altering) permutation of the elements of C_(k) is importantfor scale conversion and synthesis based on direct substitution matricesM_(k) and is discussed further below. If the data C are organized intabular form, that is, as a rectangular matrix with rows C_(k), then auseful transformation is F(C)=C^(t) the transpose of C. In the contextof data mining, this transformation amounts to applying tool 100 to datavariables or fields instead of data cases or individuals.

If C is not comprised of proximity data, we can still treat it asproximity data through direct substitution of data elements c_(ki)εC_(k)into entries of M_(k). The map M as direct or entry substitution is oneapproach to preprocessing intermixed measurement level data for tool 100based scale conversion, data merging, and MCDM, as well as, generalpattern recognition, classification, and data analysis.

For direct substitution of data into matrices M_(k) it is sufficient toconsider only the lower triangular portion of M_(k) (the upper triangleis determined by symmetry). Let T_(k)=[t_(ij)]_(k) be a lower triangularmatrix (or the lower triangle of M_(k)) and define v=max(#C_(k)), themaximum cardinality, #C_(k), over data sets C_(k)εC. Then for directsubstitution, the matrices T_(k) have order V=┌(1+√{square root over(1+8v)})/2┐ where ┌x┐ denotes the ceiling function. V is the smallestpositive integer satisfying the inequality V(V−1)/2≧v.

The entries in T_(k) are filled in, from upper left to lower right,column by column, by reading in the data values of C_(k) which areassumed to be ordered in some consistent manner. For example, for dataobject C_(k) and triangular matrix T_(k): t_(21k)=C_(kl) (the first datavalue in C_(k) is written in the second row, first column of T_(k)),t_(31k)=C_(k2) (the second data value of C_(k) is written in the thirdrow, first column of T_(k)), t_(32k)=C_(k3), t_(4lk)=C_(k4), and soforth. Note, we assume T_(k) is hollow, so we set t_(iik)=0 for all i≦V.

If the number of data values n in some data set C_(k) is less than v, orif strict inequality, V(V−1)/2>v, holds, then the remaining unfilledentries in T_(k) can either be left missing or they can be filled inwith dummy or augmenting values. (If the entries are left missing, wewill refer to this as augmenting with missing values). Various ways ofaugmenting matrices M_(k) are described in more detail below.Embodiments of the present invention allow partitioning and isolation ofthese augmenting values from actual data values during step 120processing. Note, too, that missing values allow tool 100 to be appliedto data sets C with data objects C_(k) having different numbers ofelements; this is the case for both non-proximity and proximity data.

As mentioned earlier, if direct substitution matrix encoding is utilizedin step 110 of tool 100, then any consistently applied permutation ofthe ordered elements in the C_(k) will result in a new input matrixT_(k) with possibly different admissible geometry. (We note that thenumber of geometry altering permutations is less than the total numberof possible permutations on the entries of C_(k), but this number stillgrows very rapidly with v.) FIG. 2 shows the use of tool 100 forresampled or replicated input. Tool 100 may be applied according to FIG.2 to replications over permutations on direct substitution order, toreplications over some or all 2p-IDMDS embedding dimensions, toreplications from multiple 2p-IDMDS random starts, to some combinationof the above, or to replications or samplings with respect to other2p-IDMDS inputs or parameters of interest.

In the case of direct substitution matrix encodings, a permutationinvariant output from tool 100 can be defined by averaging step 120output, including E_(p) decompositions, configurations X_(k) and Z, andmatrices A_(k), over all geometry altering rearrangements on the C_(k).A completely permutation invariant output is computationally intractablefor even moderately sized data sets. Still, approximately invariantoutput can be found by averaging over a sample of all possiblepermutations. The appropriate sample size may be determinedstatistically through stability or reliability analysis of replicationoutput. The averaging process or function used to synthesize sample(resampled) or replicated output of step 120 of tool 100 depends on theinput data and purpose of the analysis.

For specificity, we give some examples of this averaging process; othertool 100 replication and averaging procedures may be easily created bythose skilled in the art. We assume that tool 100 has been implementedusing r samples or replications. Suppose first that these replicationsare over step 110 direct substitution orders, then the r replicateddeformation matrices A_(ki), where the subscript i denotes the ithsample or replication number, can be merged by computing separategeometric means on the r replication values for each entry of thematrices A_(ki). In a second example, we suppose that the A_(kl) arediagonal matrices and the goal of the tool 100 analysis is to synthesizethe information in data objects C_(k). This can be accomplished bycomputing norms, ∥diag(A_(ki))∥, for each data object k and replicationi, and defining the geometric mean of these r norms on the kth object tobe the merged value of the information in C_(k). If we again suppose wewish to merge the data in objects C_(k), we can also compute thecentroid of each A_(kl) and then calculate the geometric mean of the rcentroids for each k. We note that these last two examples include somesort of identification condition on the deformation matrices A_(ki). Ingeneral, the goal of the analysis and the data analyzed will determinethe manner in which replication and aggregation are carried out. Inparticular, depending on the circumstances, it may be possible toperform a calculation of interest on the i-th replication space firstand then combine results over r replications; for other analyses, theclassification configurations may be combined first and then the desiredcalculation performed.

An alternative matrix form M_(k) which is invariant with respect toconsistent reorderings of the data objects C_(k). is called ideal nodeencoding. It consists of writing the list C_(k) to the first column of a(v+1)×(v+1) hollow matrix after skipping the first row. It is calledideal node encoding because the resulting matrix can be interpreted asrepresenting the proximity of n unspecified nodes or embedding points toan ideal node (in terms of complete graphs) or ideal point (in terms ofconfigurations). The entries away from the first column and diagonal ofthe ideal node matrix can be left missing or filled in, as with directsubstitution matrix encoding, using augmenting values. This ideal nodematrix form is applicable to scale conversion, data merging, MCDM, andgeneral data/pattern analysis.

Step 110 of the presently preferred embodiment of tool 100 also includesspecification of partition (1) of C

$\begin{matrix}{{C = {\overset{r}{\underset{l = 1}{P}}C_{l}}},} & (1)\end{matrix}$along with the scale groups or scale types G_(l) for partition classesC_(l). The choice of partition (1) and scale groups G_(l) are determinedby the data C and specific analysis issues. The actual algorithmicencoding of partition (1) can be accomplished through indicator matricesor some other bookkeeping device and can be implemented readily by oneskilled in the art. Inclusion of double or 2-partitioning in anembodiment of the invention allows tool 100 to be meaningfully extendedto heterogeneous, messy, intermixed scale type databases common in realworld applications. It also increases the flexibility of tool 100 inprocessing unusual or structured matrix forms M_(k).

As an example of the latter, we describe briefly a step 110 hybridmatrix form that is assembled using direct substitution and derivedproximities. Suppose that the data set C consists of both ordinalratings data C_(k) and certain proximity data P_(k) defined as follows.Let rank(c_(ki)) denote the rank order of element c_(ki) in the ratingsdata C_(k). Define proximities p_(ijk)=|rank(c_(ki))−rank(c_(kj))| for1≦i≦j≦n. Then the first column of the hybrid matrix M_(k)=[m_(ij)]_(k)consists of the ratings C_(k) as in the ideal node form, that is,beneath the zero diagonal the data list C_(k) is substituted directlyinto the first column of M_(k). The remaining entries of the hybridmatrix (including the diagonal) are filled in or augmented using theabsolute rank differences p_(ijk),[m _((i+l)(j+l)]_(k) =p _(ijk).To process this data meaningfully, we partition C into ratings C_(k) andproximities P_(k). with isotonic scale group for the ratings C_(k) andsimilarity scale group for proximities P_(k). (Other partitions mightalso be meaningful. For instance, the ratings C_(k) (proximities P_(k))could be collected into a single ordinal scale (ratio scale) classand/or the proximities P_(k) could be assigned separately, orcollectively, to a weaker scale type.)

Step 120 in tool 100 is the application of 2p-IDMDS as a 2-partition,2-phase process for admissible geometrization. The matrices M_(k) andpartition related information are input to the modified PROXSCALalgorithm with additional user supplied settings and specificationsincluding embedding dimension N, model or form of the constraintmatrices A_(k), initialization method and configuration, directrestrictions, if any, on the reference configuration Z, convergencecriteria ε>0, and iteration limit. For certain applications, nontrivialweight matrices W_(k)=[w_(ij)]_(k) are also specified. (We will say moreabout these settings and specifications in the examples below.)

The embedding dimension N for admissible geometrization step 120 dependson the input data C and the goal of the analysis. For scale conversion(merging) of intermixed scale type data, N is often set to the maximumpossible value. For direct substitution matrices M_(k), we set N=V−1.For ideal node matrix forms, N=v+1. Choosing large N may reduce theoccurrence of artificially induced lossy compression of data. Large Nalso mitigates against convergence to non-global, local minima. Settingsof embedding dimension N less than the maximum (the maximum being oneless than the order of the matrices M_(k)) results in dimensionalreduction of the data. Dimensional reduction is desirable under certaincircumstances, for instance, if the data C is known to be (or suspectedof being) highly correlated or redundant. However correlated orredundant information in C will also be automatically expressed inhyperplane or hypersurface restricted configurations Z⊂R^(N) and in tool100 output classification spaces A={A_(k)}. (A purpose of postprocessingstep 130 is to uncover such hypersurface arrangements.) Under certainconditions, an alternative to a fixed embedding dimension N is to sum oraverage step 120 output over all embedding dimensions N less than themaximum order of the input matrices M_(k). This approach to embeddingdimension via resampling can be used, in particular, when the output ofinterest are optimal transformations g_(l), optimally transformed datavalues g_(l)(C_(l)), and distances d_(ij)(X_(k)). In this case,summation or averaging over outputs establishes the invariance of tool100 with respect to dimensionality (modulo variations due to localminima and the failure of permutation invariance in case directsubstitution transformations were used in step 110). Note thattraditional IDMDS analyses seek low dimensional representations ofproximity data. The preferred embodiment of tool 100 has no suchrequirement.

Step 130, the back end or postprocessing step of tool 100, organizes,decodes, interprets, refines, and generally further manipulates the2p-IDMDS output of step 120. 2p-IDMDS output includes (but is notlimited to) a reference configuration Z⊂R^(N), deformation matricesA={A_(k)}, various decompositions of the modified energy functionalE_(p), partition dependent optimal transformations g_(l), optimallytransformed data values g_(l)(C_(l)), and distances d_(ij)(X_(k)). Whensampling or replication is used in step 110 and/or step 120 of tool 100,there may be multiple outputs to step 130, that is, multiple referenceconfigurations Z, multiple sets of deformation matrices A,decompositions of E_(p), multiple partition dependent optimaltransformation g_(k), and so forth.

The set of deformation matrices A={A_(k)} can be interpreted as aclassification space that reveals structure and relationship betweendata objects C_(k)εC. If the deformation matrices A_(k) are diagonal,then the set of dimensional dilation values diag(A)={diag(A_(k))} formsa set of complexes (where, again, a complex is a list of independentratio scale values). Under the identification condition

$\begin{matrix}{{{\sum\limits_{k = 1}^{m}{A_{k}A_{k}^{t}}} = {mI}_{N}},} & (4)\end{matrix}$the set diag(A) is contained in an N-dimensional vector space and thisspace may be investigated using standard mathematical and statisticaltools. The usefulness and generality of the sets A and diag(A) isgreatly expanded under embodiments of the present invention as comparedto traditional treatments in IDMDS and non-traditional applications inUSPA-1 and USPA-2.

If preprocessing step 110 consists of direct substitution or ideal nodematrices with partition (1), then deformation complexes diag(A) can beused to define a meaningful (iterative) merging processC _(k)→φ(diag(A _(k)))εR ^(≧0)that assigns a nonnegative ratio scale real number to each data objectC_(k). The function φ depends on the nature of the set diag(A) andwhether or not an identification condition has been imposed on thedilation matrices A_(k). If an identification condition such as (4) isused in step 120, then one possibility is φ(diag(A_(k)))=∥diag(A_(k))∥,the usual L²-noun on R^(N) (or the nonnegative orthant in R^(N)). Othernorms or functions could be used, as well. If no identificationcondition is specified, then the complexes diag(A_(k)) can be mergedusing the (weighted) geometric mean

${{\phi\left( {{diag}\left( A_{k} \right)} \right)} = {{\phi\left( {a_{k\; 1},\ldots\mspace{11mu},a_{kN}} \right)} = \left( {\prod\limits_{i = 1}^{N}\; a_{ki}^{w_{ki}}} \right)^{1/w_{k}}}},$where w_(ki) are predetermined weights and w_(k) their sum. Analternative to the geometric mean is the determinantφ(A _(k))=det(A _(k)).The determinant can be used to determine the size or volume of generaldeformation matrices A_(k). The basic idea in each of the above examplesis that the overall size of the deformation matrices A_(k) can beinterpreted as the merged value of the data object C_(k). In thiscontext, the identification condition (4) produces commensurated A_(k)matrix entries. Because the measurement levels of the initial data havebeen preserved via (1)-partition admissible transformations, the abovediscussion discloses a meaningful scale conversion and merging process.The merged values are ratio scale magnitudes. In the case of directsubstitution preprocessing, to insure that the above merging process issymmetric or permutation invariant it is necessary to average over allgeometry altering rearrangements of the input data C_(k). Since this iscomputationally intractable for even moderately sized data sets, asmaller sample of rearrangements or replications are averaged overresulting in an approximately symmetric merging process.

A set of metric or baseline merged values for data set C can bedetermined by applying step 120 of tool 100 to a trivial partition of Cwith ratio measurement level. Comparison of the original merged valuesof C with the baseline merged values is an indicator of the degree towhich the data set C is amenable to standard statistical aggregationtechniques. Original tool 100 merged values can also be compareddirectly to merged values from standard statistical aggregationfunctions such as the arithmetic or geometric mean. In addition,statistical measures of variation, scatter, or dispersion of tool 100merged values may be used to determine the degree of coherence orrelatedness of the underlying data set C.

For data/pattern matching, agreement, scoring, ordering, and otherdata/pattern analyses, (functions of) decompositions of the modifiedenergy E_(p) can be used. For example, if we let E_(pk) denote thedecomposition of E_(p) with respect to data object k,

${E_{pk} = {\sum\limits_{i < j}{w_{ijk}\left( {{{\overset{\sim}{g}}_{k}\left( c_{ijk} \right)} - {d_{ij}\left( X_{k} \right)}} \right)}^{2}}},$then the ratio

$E_{pkl} = \frac{{E_{p\; k} - E_{pl}}}{E_{p}}$is a measure of agreement or matching between data objects k and l,where E_(p) denotes the total energy. Another measure of agreement isgiven by the simple ratio

$\frac{E_{p\; k}}{E_{pl}}.$

Step 130 of tool 100 can be configured to process decompositions ofE_(p) in many ways.

Let data objects C_(k) be written to direct substitution or ideal nodematrices M_(k) with partition (1) classes C_(l) and scale groups G_(l).Step 130 postprocessing can be applied to step 120 2-phase transformeddata values g_(l)(C_(l)) to construct a fixed data conversion or derivedmeasurement model. The 2-phase 2p-IDMDS transformed data values aresubstituted for the original raw values c_(li) in partition classesC_(l). The resulting substitution ruleC _(l) →g _(l)(C _(l)),c _(li) →g _(l)(c _(li)).defines a derived measurement or scale conversion model. Nominal,ordinal, and ratio scale types are transformed into ratio scales.Interval (affine) scales are mapped to interval scales. In this way, thepartition classes C_(l) are converted to independent scales at intervalmeasurement levels or stronger. After commensuration or normalization,statistical tools meaningful for interval scales can be applied to theconverted data. In particular, the derived measurements can bemeaningfully aggregated using the (weighted) arithmetic mean.Commensuration or normalization can also be applied on each iteration ofthe 2p-IDMDS algorithm in step 120 of tool 100. The choice of how andwhen to normalize transformed data depends on the data itself and thepurpose of the tool 100 analysis.

If direct substitution matrix forms are used in step 110, then the aboveaggregation procedure can be made approximately symmetric (invariant) byaveraging over a sample of geometry altering permutations of matrixentry substitution order. This replication or averaging over multipleapplications of tool 100 is depicted in FIG. 2. To insure that averagingover samples is meaningful, the transformed values are first normalizedor made commensurate across replications (this is possible since eachpartition class in each replication has been converted during step 120to interval scale or stronger.) On the other hand, if ideal node matrixforms are used in step 110, then the above tool 100 scale conversion andmerging procedure is symmetric (invariant) by construction (this followssince proximity matrices are invariant under simultaneous rearrangementof row and column orders).

Data that has been converted using tool 100 as disclosed above can bemeaningfully analyzed or processed further using any statistical ormathematical technique. That is, the converted data sets, g_(l)(C_(l))are interval scale vectors, so are amenable to analysis by anystatistical or mathematical method which is meaningful on intervalscales.

A measure of the inconsistency of the derived measurements ortransformed values g_(l)(C_(l)) is given by the decomposition of themodified energy functional E_(p) with respect to the partition classC_(l). This is just the sum of squared residuals between transformedvalues and their associated configuration distances. To insurecomparability, the decomposition can be divided by the number ofelements in the class C_(l). Scatter diagrams for each partition classC_(l) of pseudo-distances and their associated distances against theinitial partition data provide a graphical representation of theconsistency of the derived measurement or scale conversion model. (Thesescatter diagrams are called Shepard diagrams in traditional IDMDS, here,however, we have extended the usefulness of these plots beyond theanalysis of proximities.)

The tool 100 scale conversion and merging procedure disclosed above canbe adapted to allow meaningful calculation of priorities for multiplecriteria decision making (MCDM). The following discussion employs theterminology of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). (See Saaty, T. L.,The Analytical Hierarchy Process: Planning, Priority Setting andResource Allocation, RWS Publications, Pittsburgh, 1990.) However,embodiments of the present invention are applicable to MCDM independentof AHP or any other MCDM methodology.

Let C={C_(k)} be sets of pairwise comparisons of preferences between nalternatives with respect to m criteria. And let D={d₁, . . . d_(m)}denote a set of m weights or priorities, one for each set of pairwisecomparisons C_(k). We define step 110 lower triangular matricesT_(k)=[t_(ij)]_(k)=c_(ijk)εC_(k), where c_(ijk) indicates the degree ofpreference for object i over object j with respect to criterion k. Oftenthe c_(ijk) are assumed to be ratios of weights, c_(ijk)=w_(ik)/w_(jk),so that c_(iik)=1. If this is the case, then an additional step isindicated whereby the diagonal elements t_(iik) are set equal to zero,t_(iik)=0. We also define constant weight matrices W_(k)=[w_(ij)]_(k)where w_(ijk)=d_(k) for all 1≦j≦i≦n. C is also partitioned into classesC_(l) with scale groups G_(l). The matrices T_(k), W_(k), and scalegroups G_(l) are submitted to the 2p-IDMDS algorithm in step 120 of tool100 for admissible geometrization. After appropriate step 130commensuration and merging, that is, in accord with the characteristicsof the partition classes C_(l), the merged transformed valuesg_(l)(C_(l)) form a nonnegative interval or stronger scale matrix (bysubstitution back into the original pairwise comparison matrices) fromwhich priorities for the alternatives can be derived by computing theprinciple eigenvector of this matrix. See AHP reference above for thisand other techniques for computing priorities. The point here is thatembodiments of the invention can compute priorities on tool 100converted (interval or better) scales.

If the data sets C_(k) are composed of scores or ratings for eachalternative, rather than pairwise preferences, then the C_(k) may bewritten to ideal node matrices M_(k) with missing value augmentation.Weight matrices W_(k) are now constructed with first column entriesbelow the diagonal equal to d_(k) and remaining entries set equal toone. An appropriate (1)-partition of C is determined with classes C_(l)and scale groups G_(l). M_(k), W_(k), and G_(l) are submitted to the2p-IDMDS algorithm for admissible geometrization. The resultingtransformed values g_(l)(C_(l)) are, in this case, the decisionpriorities; no additional matrix manipulations are indicated. In thissecond, score based approach to MCDM, we could also have used directsubstitution matrices in step 110 with appropriate modifications to theweight matrices W_(k) and partition (1). To provide approximateinvariance over substitution order, tool 100 replication over a sampleof geometry altering permutations of the raw scores or ratings would beperformed in accordance with FIG. 2 and our earlier discussions ofreplication.

Yet another approach to prioritizing (hierarchically arranged orclustered) paired comparison data using tool 100 is to define alongitudinal partition over the matrices of paired comparison preferencedata. More explicitly, the partition classes would consist of same indexentries from the (lower triangular portions) of same level or samecluster criterion matrices. Priorities can then be found using tool 100by (1) writing partition classes to ideal node or direct substitutionmatrices (step 110), (2) applying step 120 to find diagonal matricesdiag(A_(l)) and, (3) computing norms, ∥diag(A_(l))∥, on the set ofdiagonal vectors, diag(A_(l)), to define priorities. (If anidentification condition is not specified, then, as described earlier,the determinant or some other meaningful aggregation function can beapplied instead to meaningfully compute priorities from the complexesdiag(A_(l)). Note, here we are using the subscript/for both data objectand (1)-partition; this should not cause any confusion.) In step 110, wecan explicitly include criteria priorities in the form of weightmatrices (as disclosed above) or criteria priorities can be appliedpost-hoc to the tool 100 priorities.

An advantage of tool 100 for MCDM is that heterogeneous, mixedmeasurement level data may be prioritized directly. This is not the casefor other MCDM tools such as the Analytical Hierarchy Process thatincludes homogeneous data and the assumption that pairwise comparisonsgenerate ratio scales.

Tool 100 is adaptive or contextual. Changes in a single data element mayresult in global changes in output. Tool 100 can be made progressivelyless contextual by fixing one or more coordinates of the referenceconfiguration Z. This is easily done in the PROXSCAL based 2p-IDMDSalgorithm. A natural choice in merging applications is to completelyfixed Z coordinates as the vertices of a centered and normalized(N−1)-simplex in N-dimensions.

Fixing Z coordinates leaves only the deformation matrices A_(k) andadmissible transformations g_(l) to be determined in step 120. A secondmethod for decontextualizing tool 100 output is to insert fixedreference data objects or landmarks into each data set of interest.After processing, these landmarks may be used to standardize resultsacross data sets. A third and straightforward option is to simplycombine different data sets into a single analysis. This latter methodcan also be used for batch mode replication: Instead of processingsamples separately, they are combined into a single super data set. Thissuper data set is preprocessed and input to step 120. Step 120 outputcan then be analyzed by using average or centroid configurations withrespect to the replicated data sets.

The processes described above for tool 100 can each be expanded andgeneralized in a number of ways. For example, with the exception of theapplication of tool 100 to MCDM, we have implicitly assumed that theweights w_(ijk) in the modified energy functional E_(p) are identicallyone. In one alternative embodiment, weights may be applieddifferentially to raw and transformed data values. Weights can beassigned a priori or derived from the input data itself. For example, ifwe suppose the data C is arranged in tabular or matrix form, thenapplying tool 100 to C^(t), the transpose of C, associates a weight toeach of the original rows C_(k). Specifically, the scale conversion andmerging process described above produces a scalar, merged value for eachrow of C^(t) which is then used as the nonnegative weight for row C_(k).A scalar value can also be achieved by simply setting the embeddingdimension N=1.

For each of the tool 100 based merging processes described above,weights can be integrated directly into the merging process through theuse of nontrivial proximity weights w_(ijk) in equation (2) of step 120.Weights can also be applied in postprocessing step 130 through weightedstatistical merging functions on transformed step 120 output. Whichweighting method is selected depends on the data in question and thepurpose of the analysis.

In another alternative embodiment, in the preprocessing step 110, dataC_(k) (matrices M_(k)) can be augmented with artificial values. Forexample, C_(k) (M_(k)) may be augmented with missing values, repeatedconstants, or random values. The C_(k) (M_(k)) may also be augmentedthrough concatenation of copies of the data values themselves.Augmentation of the C_(k) allows processing of data sets of differingcardinality and missing values. In conjunction with (1)-partitioning,augmentation greatly increases the kinds of data that may be processedby tool 100.

Minimization of the modified energy function E_(p) is a constrainedleast squares approach to admissible geometrization. While the idea ofenergy minimization seems natural, admissible geometrization does notrequire a least squares objective function. Alternative embodiments havebeen identified including geometrization based on (constrained) leastabsolute differences, non-dimensional ordinal scaling (see Cunningham,J. P. and Shepard, R. N., “Monotone mapping for similarities into ageneral metric space,” J. Math. Psychol., 11, 1974, 335-363), andnonlinear principle components analysis (or Princals, see Gifi, A.,“Algorithm descriptions for Anacor, Homals, Princals, and Overals,”Tech. Report No. RR-89-01, Department of Data Theory, University ofLeiden, 1989). However, embodiments of the present invention are moreflexible and therefore have greater applicability than eithernon-dimensional scaling or Princals. L¹ or least absolute differencesminimization is generally more difficult to implement than least squaresminimization so an alternative embodiment of admissible geometrizationthrough constrained L¹ optimization overcomes certain technicalprogramming problems.

To further specify further the method and apparatus in accordance withembodiments of the present invention, the following descriptive examplesof the application of the embodiments of the present invention follow.These examples are illustrative only and shall in no way limit the scopeof the method or apparatus.

EXAMPLE A Data Mining

Suppose company XYZ has an m client database which contains thefollowing fields: (1) client age, (2) income (3) region of domicile,(4)-(6) Likert scale responses to survey questions concerning companyservice plan A, and (7) an indicator field showing which XYZ serviceplan, B or C, the client is using. Company XYZ has acquired new clientsfor whom they have information on fields (1) through (6) and they wouldlike to predict which service plan, B or C, a new client will select. Weapply the three step process of an embodiment of the present invention,tool 100.

Let C_(k)={c_(k1), . . . , c_(k7)} be the record for client k. Then wedefine m+1, 4×4 direct substitution matrices T_(k) as follows

${{C_{k}->T_{k}} = \begin{pmatrix}0 & * & * & * \\c_{k\; 1} & 0 & * & * \\c_{k\; 2} & c_{k\; 3} & 0 & * \\c_{k\; 4} & c_{k\; 5} & c_{k\; 6} & 0\end{pmatrix}},$where the 7^(th) field has been omitted and * denotes empty entries(recall, T_(k) is hollow, lower triangular). The first m of thesematrices correspond to previous XYZ clients whose 7^(th) field valuesare known. The (m+1)-th matrix represents a new client whose field 7value is to be predicted. We next define a (1)-partition by fields, thatis, partition class C_(l) corresponds to field l, for l=1, . . . , 6.Scale groups or scale types are assigned as follows: G₁ and G₂ aresimilarity groups defining ratio scale types; G₃ is Σ_(m), thepermutation group on m letters, defining nominal scale type; and G₄through G₆ are isotonic groups defining ordinal scale types. (Note, hadwe assumed that the Likert scales in fields 4-6 were comparable, then wecould combine partition classes C₄ through C_(o) into a single ordinalscale class.) In this hypothetical application of embodiments of theinvention, unit proximity weights can be assumed. However, if it turnedout, for some reason, that age was a universally important variable indetermining plan selection, one could assign a high value to proximityweight w_(21k) for each client record k.

Since direct substitution encoding is not invariant under substitutionreorderings, we create 6!=720 replications or rearrangements of theabove matrices and partitions which will be processed in step 120 andaveraged over in step 130. (Note, we do not really need to create 6!replications since 4! of these will not alter the admissible geometry instep 120.) If weight matrices are involved, these can be permutedaccordingly.

In step 120, the m+1 matrices T_(k) and admissible transformationinformation G_(l), l=1, . . . , 6, are submitted to the 2p-IDMDSalgorithm with the following specifications: (i) embedding dimensionN=3, and (ii) the deformation matrices A_(k) in constraint equations (3)are diagonal (the INDSCAL model of traditional IDMDS) withidentification condition (4) enforced. We also designate thattransformed data values or pseudo-distances are to be standardizedwithin, rather than across, partition classes. A number of othertechnical 2p-IDMDS parameters also can be set, for example, one canselect to treat the ordinal data from fields 4-6 as either continuous ordiscrete (as mentioned above, this corresponds to so-called primary andsecondary approaches to ties in IDMDS, though in 2p-IDMDS we can specifydifferent approaches to ties for each ordinal class C_(l)). We can alsodecide on the convergence criteria, minimum energy 4, and the maximumnumber of iterations to allow.

Step 120 is repeated on each of the 720 replications constructed in step110. The output for each of these replications is a set of dilationvectors diag(A)={diag(A_(k))} which, because of identification condition(4), defines a set of 3—vectors or points in the positive orthant of R³.These 720 sets of dilation vectors are then averaged by calculating thegeometric mean over dimensions. We abuse notation and write thisaveraged set of vectors as diag(A), as well.

Step 130 postprocessing is based on statistical clustering analysis ofdiag(A), the merged classification space of dilation 3-vectors. This isone of a number of ways to analyze this and real databases, but it is avery natural approach, as we will discuss shortly. The first m of thevectors in diag(A) are divided into two disjoint groups according totheir known field 7 values. The goal is to predict the unknown field 7value for the (m+1)-th client vector using the spatial organization ofthe set diag(A) in R³ and the field 7 differential marking of theinitial m vectors. While there are a number of ways in which thisclustering analysis can be carried out, a natural choice aremultiresponse permutation procedures or MRPP (see Mielke, P. W. andBerry, K. J., Permutation Methods: A Distance Function Approach,Springer, N.Y., 2001). MRPP allows classification of an additionalobject, in this case, the (m+1)-th client, into one of the two disjointgroups of field 7 distinguished vectors or clients. We will not describethe MRPP methodology here except to point out that MRPP, as its namesuggests, determines the probability that an additional object belongsto a particular group by computing P-values using permutationprocedures. In addition, MRPP allows for classification with an excessgroup. The excess group can be used to identify anomalous objects oroutliers in the tool 100 classification space, diag(A).

The use of MRPP in the postprocessing step 130 of embodiments of thepresent invention is natural in the sense that MRPP is a model free,(Euclidean) distance function approach to statistical analysis andembodiments of the present invention are, among other things, a modelfree technique for transforming data, in particular, messy, intermixedscale type data into geometric (Euclidean, in the presently preferredembodiment) configurations of points.

The optimal choice for 2p-IDMDS embedding dimension can be found using atraining set of clients with known field 7 values. The mostperspicacious dimension may be found by back testing the training setholdouts over a range of dimensions. The optimal training set dimensionsare then used for predicting field 7 values for new clients.

EXAMPLE B Response Modeling

While example A refers to a classification problem, MRPP P-values can beused to order any number of objects with respect to many kinds ofcriteria. It is a simple matter to recast example A as a responsemodeling problem: Let field 7 indicate response or no response to adirect marketing campaign. Then the MRPP determined P-values for “newclients” on the marked classification space, diag(A), indicate theprobability that a person (new client) will respond to a solicitation.It is then straightforward to construct a lift table from the list of“new clients” sorted by MRPP determined response probability or P-value.

EXAMPLE C Anomaly Detection

Example A can also be reinterpreted in terms of time series, signals, orsequential data. The data objects C_(k) are now data sequences, forexample, process traces from a computer server. The sequences C_(k) canbe processed by tool 100 in precisely the same manner as disclosed inexample A only now field 7 represents some characteristic or labeling ofthe sequence. In the case of process traces this label might indicatewhether the given process trace represents benign behavior or anintrusion or attack. The (m+1)-th sequence or “client” is a monitoredprocess or signal. In this case, MRPP classification of this monitoredprocess into an excess group indicates the occurrence of some sort ofanomalous behavior. The relative size of the associated P-values forexcess and non-excess groups indicate the degree of certainty thatanomalous behavior has or is occurring.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the illustrated embodiments ofthe present invention provide a method and apparatus for classifying,converting, and merging possibly intermixed measurement level inputdata. Input data are received and formed into one or more matrices.Furthermore, intermixed measurement level input data is partitioned intoclasses and scale groups. Matrices are processed by 2p-IDMDS to producedecomposition of modified energy, deformation matrices, and transformeddata values. A back end or postprocessing step, organizes, decodes,interprets, and aggregates process step output. The technique inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention avoids limitationsassociated with earlier applications of energy minimization forclassification, conversion, and aggregation of data, extending theseearlier processes to intermixed measurement level data and furtherapplications.

Additional illustrative embodiments of the present invention can applyto voter preference and grading or scoring of assessment instruments.

Let C={C₁, . . . , C_(m)} denote a group of m voters and letC_(k)={c_(k1), . . . , c_(kn)} be the preferences of voter k for each ofn candidates or choices (large values of c_(ki) correspond to. Thethree-step process of the present embodiment of tool 100 may be used ina number of ways to determine a group ordering or preference of the ncandidates or choices. In one approach, the ordinal preferences of eachvoter C_(k) are written to direct substitution matrices M_(k) withtrivial partition C. This preprocessing step 110 may be replicated oneor more times over rearrangements of the substitution order where thenumber of replications is determined by the requirements of the data setC and appropriate statistical reliability analyses. Each replication isthen submitted to the processing step 120 of the presently preferredembodiment of tool 100. In step 120, admissibly transformed values orpseudo-distances ĉ_(ki) are produced for each voter preference c_(ki).In one embodiment of the invention, admissibly transformed values ĉ_(ki)are found using monotone regression in the 2-phase transformationportion of 2p-IDMDS. In step 130 of tool 100, the replicated transformedvalues ĉ_(ki) are collected, made commensurate (if indicated by theanalysis or data), and merged. The merged replicated transformed valuesare then aggregated by candidate, defining a group preference on the setof candidates or choices.

In an alternative approach, the voter group C is thought of as defininga rectangular m by n matrix. The rows of the transpose of this matrixare then submitted to the three step process described in the precedingparagraph where now the direct substitution matrices are n in number,one for each candidate or choice. As in the previous paragraph, thetrivial partition is selected with possible replication and step 120processing applied in a manner analogous to that described above. In thepostprocessing step 130, there are at least two methods for determininggroup preferences. The first is similar to the previous description:admissibly transformed data are made commensurate (if indicated) andmerged across replications, then the merged replicated transformedvalues are merged by candidate where now candidate admissiblytransformed values are grouped together. In a second approach,deformation matrices {A_(k)} are collected from step 120 and aremeaningfully averaged or merged over replications. The mergedreplication deformation matrices are then measured for size, where thematrix function determining the size of the deformation matrices dependson the form of the constraint equation X_(k)=ZA_(k). For example, if theA_(k) are diagonal and satisfy an identification condition, then size ofthe A_(k) can be defined as ∥diag(A_(k))∥, the norm of the vector formedby the diagonal entries of A_(k). The size of the matrix A_(k) isinterpreted to be the group preference for candidate or choice k.

Embodiments of the present invention can also be applied to grade orscore subject performance on various assessment instruments includingstandardized tests, aptitude and achievement exams, the SAT, graduaterecord exams, intelligence tests, personality, placement, and careerinventories, and other instruments.

In one illustration, let the data set C={C₁, . . . , C_(m)} denote agroup of m subjects and the sets C_(k)={c_(k1), . . . , c_(kn)} consistof zero/one values with zero (one) indicating an incorrect (correct)response by subject k on each of n items or questions in a test orassessment instrument. In addition, let W_(k)={w_(k1), . . . , w_(kn)}be proximity weights representing the difficulty levels of the n itemsor questions. (Other information or testing data may be encoded in thesets C_(k) including, for instance, human or automatic grader scores onn questions for individual k. The present embodiment of the inventionmay be easily adapted to these and other data sets by one skilled in theart.)

The three-step process of the presently preferred embodiment of tool 100may be used to determine a test score or grade for each of the above msubjects C_(k) in a number of ways. In one approach, in step 110 of tool100, the nominal responses of each subject C_(k) are written to directsubstitution matrices M_(k) with trivial partition C. (Binary values mayalso be treated as ratio scale type data.). Preprocessing step 110 isreplicated over rearrangements of substitution order of the elements ofthe subjects C_(k) with the number of replications determined by thedata set C and the results of statistical analyses. Each replication isthen submitted to step 120 of the presently preferred embodiment of tool100. In step 120, weighted admissibly transformed values orpseudo-distances ĉ_(ki) are found for each subject response c_(ki). Inthe presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the process step120 consists of 2p-IDMDS with 2-phase nominal transformations andpossibly nontrivial (non-unit) proximity weights. In step 130 of tool100, the replicated transformed values are collected, made commensurate(if indicated by the analysis or data), and merged. The mergedreplicated transformed values are then aggregated by subject defining anoverall subject grade or test score. In a second approach, deformationmatrices {A_(k)} produced in step 120 of tool 100 are meaningfullyaveraged or merged over replications (for example, using thedimension-wise geometric mean). The merged replication deformationmatrices are then measured for size, where the matrix functiondetermining the size of the deformation matrices depends on the form ofthe constraint equation X_(k)=ZA_(k). For example, if the A_(k) arediagonal and satisfy an identification condition, then the size of theA_(k) can be defined as ∥diag(A_(k))∥, the norm of the vector formed bythe diagonal entries of A_(k). The size of the matrix A_(k) isinterpreted as the grade or test score for subject k.

Scoring or grading assessment instruments according to the abovedescription of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention iscontextual or relative. A pool of subjects and subject test scores canbe maintained against which new subjects may be scored or graded. Morespecifically, if B is a set of baseline test subjects, then anindividual C_(k) (or group C) may be scored against this baseline groupby applying the above tool 100 three-step procedure to the union C_(k)∪B(or C⊚B).

The application of the present embodiment of the invention may bemodified to include proximity weight matrices W_(k) in tool 100determination of group voter preference or choice. In addition, theabove voter and assessment analyses can be performed in a symmetric, orrearrangement invariant manner, by using ideal node transformation inpreprocessing step 110.

In general, the admissibly transformed values produced by step 120 oftool 100 may be meaningfully processed by a univariate or multivariatestatistical technique that is meaningful on interval or weaker scaletypes. In this way, the group preferences or subject test scoresproduced by tool 100, as described above, can be treated as univariateor multivariate interval or stronger scale complexes (or vectors ifappropriate identification conditions have been imposed on theconstraint equations (4)).

While one or more particular embodiments of the present invention havebeen shown and described, modifications may be made. As described above,geometrization algorithms based on other objective functions may replace2p-IDMDS. It is therefore intended in the appended claims to cover allsuch changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit andscope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A computer system for data scalingcomprising: (a) a memory which is able to store data, (b) a processorwhich is operatively connected to the memory which will: (1) compute twopartitions of the stored data, and (2) compute admissible geometrizationon the two partitions of the stored data, and (3) compute admissiblytransformed data so that said memory will store the transformed data,and (c) a display to display the transformed data to a user to interpretthe stored transformed data as transformed data.
 2. The computer systemfor data scaling of claim 1 wherein the memory stores data selected fromthe group consisting of qualitative data, quantitative data, intermixedqualitative and quantitative data, and intermixed scale type data. 3.The computer system for data scaling of claim 1 wherein in step (b2) theprocessor computes 2-partition individual differences multidimensionalscaling on the two partitions of the stored data.
 4. The computer systemfor data scaling of claim 1 wherein the memory stores data selected fromthe group consisting of: classified data for a predeterminedcharacteristic among a plurality of input domains, measured data for apredetermined characteristic among a plurality of input domains, surveydata for a predetermined characteristic among a plurality of inputdomains, scoring data for a predetermined characteristic among aplurality of input domains, rating data for a predeterminedcharacteristic among a plurality of input domains, ranking data for apredetermined characteristic among a plurality of input domains,preference data for a predetermined characteristic among a plurality ofinput domains, voting data for a predetermined characteristic among aplurality of input domains, and grading data for a predeterminedcharacteristic among a plurality of input domains.
 5. A method forquantitative aggregation of data comprising: (a) using a computerprocessor, receiving data; (b) forming two partitions of the receiveddata; (c) applying admissible geometrization to the partitioned data toproduce at least a plurality of deformation matrices; (d) computingsizes of the deformation matrices; and (e) interpreting the sizes of thedeformation matrices as indicative of quantitative aggregation of thereceived data.
 6. The method for quantitative aggregation of data ofclaim 5 wherein the received data is heterogeneous data.
 7. The methodfor quantitative aggregation of data of claim 6 wherein theheterogeneous data is selected from the group consisting of qualitativedata, quantitative data, intermixed qualitative and quantitative data,and intermixed scale type data.
 8. The method for quantitativeaggregation of data of claim 5 wherein applying admissiblegeometrization to the partitioned data comprises applying 2-partitionindividual differences multidimensional scaling to the partitioned data.9. The method for quantitative aggregation of data of claim 5 furthercomprising the steps of: (b1) forming a plurality of rearrangements ofthe partitioned received data; (c1) applying admissible geometrizationto the plurality of rearrangements of the partitioned received data toproduce a plurality of deformation matrices for the rearrangements ofthe received data; (d1) computing aggregate sizes of the deformationmatrices for the rearrangements of the received data; and (e1)interpreting the aggregate sizes of the deformation matrices asindicative of quantitative aggregation of the received data.
 10. Acomputer system for quantitative aggregation of data comprising: (a) amemory which is able to store data, (b) a processor which is operativelyconnected to the memory which will: (1) compute two partitions of thestored data, and (2) compute admissible geometrization of thepartitioned data, and (3) compute at least a plurality of deformationmatrices, and (4) compute sizes of the plurality of deformation matricesso that said memory will store the sizes of the deformation matrices,and (c) a display to display the sizes of the deformation matrices to auser to use the stored sizes of the deformation matrices as indicativeof quantitative aggregation of the received data.
 11. The computersystem for quantitative aggregation of data of claim 10 wherein thememory stores data that is heterogeneous data.
 12. The computer systemfor quantitative aggregation of data of claim 11 wherein theheterogeneous data is selected from the group consisting of qualitativedata, quantitative data, intermixed qualitative and quantitative data,and intermixed scale type data.
 13. The computer system for quantitativeaggregation of data of claim 10 wherein in step (b2) the processorcomputes 2-partition individual differences multidimensional scaling onthe two partitions of the stored data.
 14. The computer system forquantitative aggregation of data of claim 10 further comprising thesteps of: (b1) the processor computes a plurality of rearrangements ofthe partitioned received data, and (b2) the processor computesadmissible geometrization of the plurality of rearrangements of thepartitioned received data, and (b3) the processor computes a pluralityof deformation matrices for the rearrangements of the received data, and(b4) the processor computes aggregate sizes of the plurality ofdeformation matrices for the rearrangements of the received data so thatthe memory will store the aggregate sizes, and (c1) a display to displaythe aggregate sizes of the deformation matrices to a user to use thestored aggregate sizes of the deformation matrices as indicative ofquantitative aggregation of the received data.
 15. A pattern recognitionmethod comprising: (a) using a computer processor, receiving data; (b)forming two partitions of the received data; (c) applying admissiblegeometrization to the partitioned data to produce at least a pluralityof deformation matrices; (d) analyzing the plurality of deformationmatrices; and (e) using the analyzed deformation matrices for patternrecognition; wherein the deformation matrices comprise an output of thestep of applying admissible geometrization to the partitioned data. 16.The pattern recognition method of claim 15 wherein the received data isheterogeneous data.
 17. The pattern recognition method of claim 16wherein the heterogeneous data is selected from the group consisting ofqualitative data, quantitative data, intermixed qualitative andquantitative data, and intermixed scale type data.
 18. The patternrecognition method of claim 15 wherein applying admissiblegeometrization to the partitioned data comprises applying 2-partitionindividual differences multidimensional scaling to the partitioned data.19. A computer system for pattern recognition comprising: (a) a memorywhich is able to store data, (b) a processor which is operativelyconnected to the memory which will: (1) compute two partitions of thestored data, and (2) compute admissible geometrization of thepartitioned data, and (3) compute at least a plurality of deformationmatrices, and (4) compute an analysis of the plurality of deformationmatrices so that said memory will store the analysis of the deformationmatrices, and (c) a display to display the analysis of the deformationmatrices to a user to use the stored analysis of the deformationmatrices for pattern recognition; wherein the deformation matricescomprise an output of the step of computing admissible geometrization ofthe partitioned data.
 20. The computer system for pattern recognition ofclaim 19 wherein the memory stores data that is heterogeneous data. 21.The computer system for pattern recognition of claim 20 wherein theheterogeneous data is selected from the group consisting of qualitativedata, quantitative data, intermixed qualitative and quantitative data,and intermixed scale type data.
 22. The computer system for patternrecognition of claim 19 wherein in step (b2) the processor computes2-partition individual differences multidimensional scaling on the twopartitions of the stored data.